Title

Author

Date of Award

Spring 2016

Degree Type

Capstone - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Advisor

Susan Marine

Abstract

As demographic shifts and economic factors have increased the potential pool of college students in the United States, thoughtful, comprehensive admissions strategies matter to the advancement of higher education (Miller, Valle & Engle, 2014). The focus of this study was to examine the best practices for college admission recruitment strategies, which specifically focused on a national counselor college fly-in event at a medium sized comprehensive institution in New England. The impact that secondary school counselors have on college enrollment is not well documented in the literature. In this project, a survey was distributed to XX secondary school counselors who attended a recent counselor fly-in event (CFE) to better understand whether or not this type of recruitment tool is effective in increasing freshman enrollment. In addition, information regarding two other counselor fly-in programs was referenced to compile recommendations for best practice. The overarching findings from this study focus on (a) key college factors, (b) future event recommendations and (c) evaluation of the fly-in experience. The primary recommendations include (a) incorporating diverse representation into the fly-in itinerary, (b) increasing opportunities for more participants to attend and (c) organizing a collaborative college counselor tour with local institutions.